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As I stood in the queue at HMV in York, I was pretty certain I was onto a winner with my purchase of the latest CD instalment from the dazzling young trumpet player, Alison Balsom. My expectations were proved right from the very first notes; the record, entitled Italian Concertos, is nothing short of outstanding.
Her fifth studio album, it follows in a similar vein to her previous releases. However, it is quite unique in the fact that its contents were not originally written for the trumpet but have in fact been transcribed for it. However, this does not stop Balsom from converting oboe and violin concertos into wonderful performances on the trumpet. I dare say there are a few purists out there huffing and puffing over the performing of these concertos on the ‘wrong’ instrument. I would agree with that argument if such change in instrumentation had affected the work or if the performance was under-par, but neither of these becomes an issue.
The brilliant tone that she offers is envied by many trumpet players (myself included!). She spans the instrument’s range effortlessly, whether it be fast semiquaver runs at the top of the instrument’s tessitura or slow lyrical moments where the beauty in her sound becomes even more evident. Take the very first work for example, Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in A Minor RV356. The first movement is full of bounce and energy and the high fast runs are nimbly dispatched. A second movement follows, a Largo, where great expression is used both in the solo trumpet and the accompanying Scottish Ensemble. As the album progresses it becomes even more exhilarating; on first listen, there were times where I was sat in awe at the sheer brilliance of what I was hearing.
Balsom’s technical expertise is displayed wonderfully across the entire record. Her performance is quite breathtaking and there is simply nothing to fault. If you are a classical music lover, this CD is a must have. As for me I am already looking forward to early May 2011 when she will be playing a number of concerts in the North of England.
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